Words by Willa Beck Rudolph
Austin, TX born & raised, NYC-based indie pop artist Josh Lumsden has released a brand new video and single today, the euro-techno-inspired track “Everybody Wants to Feel Good.” With a clear visual language that supports the sound perfectly, the video finds Lumsden in a liminal space on an isolated sand dune.
The classically trained musician and self-taught producer’s vibe and energy is infectious, while it is also mysterious and a bit nihilistic, at least in this song/video. “Might as well keep ‘raving on,’” Lumsden surmises.
His falsetto vocals atop the techno beat are ear-worm addicting, and the video (directed by himself and Abraham Bec) seems to symbolize some kind of ‘in-between life and death’ land, a post-apocalyptic imaginative realm. The sand dune is in a void, changing and shifting as the song ramps up energy, growing life and then letting it die. Lumsden sings and DJ’s atop the sand dune, sometimes staring the viewer dead in the eyes, as he himself begins to age and disintegrate into the sand as the video ends. “Everything that comes from dust will return to dust,” he reminds us.
The song acts as a fantastic club number, as Lumsden sings, “This the start of something new / I can’t wait to do this every night / Everybody wants to feel good,” but has this underlying assumption that the world actually might end—which we may all be feeling a bit of right now—when he sings, “Babe, how we make out this thing alive? / One more time before we say goodbye / Need another round yeah i won’t lie… Baby we’re just killing all the pain / Roll it up and take me all the way.”
Josh has had an impressive career thus far, collaborating with LGBTQIA+ legends Yvie Oddly (“Energy“) & Brendan Maclean (“Drowning“), and everything he makes comes directly from his hands. We had the pleasure of sitting down with him and learning more about his artistry and the story behind “Everybody Wants to Feel Good.”
So, how long have you been making music?
Josh: I’ve been in the “music world” almost my entire life but began actually playing around with producing when I was 13. I started only seriously putting out music a few years ago though!
What led you to teach yourself to produce music?
Josh: It sounds weird, but I actually started writing classical music at first. Full-on concert arrangements, which slowly morphed into pop-electronic beats. I started off at 13 making these goofy beats & would sing on top of them and just kind of never stopped. I’m very grateful for that process, though, because now I’ve learned to kind of create whatever I want without having to rely on bothering a producer anytime I want a tiny change – I’m too much of a control freak with this stuff to let anyone else drive the ship.
Who are some of your biggest sonic inspirations?
Josh: These tend to change every few years, but right now I’m really into the idea of pop meets underground. FKA Twigs, Rosalia, ARCA, Charli XCX, Kaytranada, are just some of the artists that come to mind that I’m super into right now.
Why the imagery of the sand and the life forming and decaying in the “Everybody wants to feel good” video?
Josh: I wanted to show that everything that comes from dust will return to dust; it’s inevitable, and reminding myself of that helps me feel like any problems I face are much smaller than they feel. We’re all experiencing the same life cycle, so might as well keep ‘raving on’, which is what I tried to portray in the visual.
Does this new song represent a new era for you or a continuation of a previous era?
Josh: The track is a little different from the other music I’ve put out, but I still feel like they all live in the same world. It’s a standalone single that isn’t attached to a larger body of work, though – so it’s not like the start of a new era or anything. Just more of how I’m feeling at the moment!
Describe your collaborations with Yvie Oddly & Brendan Maclean – what did those collaborations entail and what did those experiences teach you?
Josh: Both of those collabs were super fun; they are amazing people. They both found time in their busy schedules to collaborate; Yvie was in-between shooting a season of Drag Race & a Vegas residency, while Brendan was performing all over Australia. It definitely taught me that you can make time to do whatever you want if you’re dedicated.
Do you produce music for others often? How does your creative process change depending on who you’re working with?
Josh: I do! I’ve actually been doing that a lot more lately – it’s a lot of fun, especially when the artist I’m working with knows how to have a good time. I love having artists over at my home studio, having a glass of wine & creating songs.
Keep up with Josh Lumsden and his upcoming music here.